Jessica Chastain Rumored For Mission: Impossible 5

Jessica Chastain is without question one of the most talented actresses working in Hollywood today - and she has the Oscar nominations to prove it - but one part of the industry she has really yet to explore is the live-action franchise blockbuster. Back in 2012 she was offered the chance to play what ended up being Rebecca Hall's part in Iron Man 3, and ultimately turned it down, and we haven't heard about her going out for any similar opportunities since. But that time may have come to an end, as new rumors are suggesting that Chastain may wind up playing a big role in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 5.

While I would highly recommend taking this story with a grain of salt, ShmoesKnow claims that an inside source has told them that the next installment of the long-running action franchise is looking to have Jessica Chastain sign on for a role that would see her star alongside Tom Cruise. While any real details are slim at this point (the project is still in early days and has yet to reveal a plot description), the site's source adds that the actress is being sought for a part that will see her play Ethan Hunt's "right hand woman" (it's unclear if that's meant in a romantic way or a "fellow agent of the Impossible Missions Force" way).

While Chastain is rather new to the world of blockbuster filmmaking, she does at least have some experience in her filmography kicking serious ass. Just watch the trailer for The Debt below to see what I mean:

Mission: Impossible 5 will be going into production later this year in target of a December 25, 2015 release date (which is pretty ballsy considering that's just a week after J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII). Christopher McQuarrie, who directed Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher and worked with him as a writer on both Valkyrie and the upcoming Edge of Tomorrow, is helming the project, and will be using a script written by Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce. It's expected that the movie is going to maintain a good amount of continuity from Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, but it has yet to be confirmed if Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon Pegg - not to mention Ving Rhames - will be coming back. We'll just have to wait and see if it happens over the next few months.

It was just announced yesterday that Jessica Chastain has signed on to play Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik's Blonde, but coming up she also has Christopher Nolan's Interstellar,the August Stridberg adaptation Miss Julie, J.C. Chandor's drama A Most Violent Year, and Guillermo del Toro's throwback horror Crimson Peak.